If you’ve recently seen the Black Widow movie, chances are that you’ve fallen in love with David Harbour as the Red Guardian. Though, fans probably recognize Harbour from previous projects such as Hellboy and Stranger Things. I’m here hoping that we get more of Harbour in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but let’s backtrack for a second. How did Harbour get his role in Black Widow?
In an interview in Insider, Harbour was asked how his introduction to Marvel started:
Jason Guerrasio: So here’s how I imagine you going into this pitch with Marvel. You are offered Red Guardian so you instantly Google who that is and find that in the comics he’s the love interest to Natasha Romanoff. So you’re thinking you will be the love interest in “Black Widow.” Am I close?
“Um, your perception of events is wrong. Marvel does not call me and say we want you to play Red Guardian. What happens is I’m in London randomly doing some stuff and [“Black Widow” director] Cate Shortland calls my agents and asks if I want to have lunch and talk about some stuff. I go to lunch and she tells me she’s shooting a movie called “Black Widow” about Scarlett’s character in the Marvel Universe and there’s this guy we want you to play.”
Harbour continued:
“I had no idea there was a movie “Black Widow.” I had no idea what we going on. I couldn’t believe it. And she describes this character that is this guy who is a father figure and has all these tattoos, so to me, it was a fresh character. Then I went back and did some research and was like, oh, the comics are clearly all wrong. Finally, the movie will correct them. [Laughs.]”
Harbour also described how a lot of what ended up in the film wasn’t originally in the script. Scenes such as the Red Guardians trying to fit into his old Red Guardian suit. Or the emotional weight of the song “American Pie” that Red Guardian and Florence Pugh’s Yelena shared:
“Like the “American Pie” song, all of that was not in the script. A lot of the family dynamic stuff was improved. Even little things like me having a fake earpiece at one point. We were just playing around with things.
We were sitting around talking about the family structure and in the bedroom scene with Red Guardian and Yelena Belova, my character is fumbling trying to be a father and in the end, he fails. She tells him to get out. In the script, he says something and leaves.
I felt there’s gotta be something a little more profound and I said, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if back in America when she was little and was terrified having been taken from her family the Red Guardian would put her in the car and drive around and play ‘American Pie’? So from then on, she tells daddy to put in the tape.”
What did you think of Harbour as the Red Guardian in Black Widow?
For a spoilers review, click below:
Source: Insider
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A girl with too many fandoms to count.
